Wendy Bohon - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Wendy Bohon

Many scientific journals have committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, but publis... more Many scientific journals have committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, but publish articles counter to this goal. We propose actions the scientific community should take to move research and the publication process toward more rigorous and socially-just standards.

Earth and Planetary Science Letters

Eos

For some educators, restrictions imposed by COVID-19 created space for innovation and affirmed th... more For some educators, restrictions imposed by COVID-19 created space for innovation and affirmed the value of online tools and learning environments for increasing access to and engagement with science.

Geosphere

The western margin of the Tibetan Plateau is defined by the NE-striking, sinistral Longmu Co faul... more The western margin of the Tibetan Plateau is defined by the NE-striking, sinistral Longmu Co fault system and the NW-striking, dextral Karakoram fault system. The region of convergence of these two systems is remote and politically sensitive, precluding systematic geologic mapping in the field. As a consequence, there is considerable controversy regarding the relationship between these regionally important structural features. Analysis of Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) multispectral data and validation with field mapping provide new insights via the production of a lithologic map. Detailed analysis of the ASTER data shows that the two fault systems do not intersect but instead become parallel. Additionally, the geometry and sense of motion of the two fault systems imply that they are acting as a conjugate fault pair, in conjunction with the normal Angmong fault system, allowing for the extrusion of Tibetan lithosphere toward the east. GEOLOGIC SETTING The remote Ladakh Himalaya and adjacent Tibet (Fig. 1) feature several major tectonic structures. The Bangong, Shyok, and Indus-Yarlung suture zones mark the closure of ocean basins during the accretionary evolution of Tibet and the culminating event of India-Eurasia collision (e.g., Gansser, 1964; Yin and Harrison, 2000). The Karakoram fault system marks the southwestern margin of the Tibetan Plateau (e.g., Armijo et al.

Geosphere

High-resolution topography (HRT) provides Earth scientists the opportunity to measure landscapes ... more High-resolution topography (HRT) provides Earth scientists the opportunity to measure landscapes at unprecedented meter to submeter resolutions. HRT also enables use of new quantitative tools that explore landscape structure and evolution. The wide applications for HRT products in research have motivated Earth science educators to evaluate their usefulness for teaching concepts such as plate tectonics, faulting, and landscape change. This study assesses the usefulness of HRT as an educational tool for teaching Earth science concepts. The application of HRT to Earth science education is motivated by concepts outlined in undergraduate geology textbooks, the U.S. Next Generation Science Standards, and the Earth Science Literary Initiative. We developed three activities using HRT to assess its educational value. An exploratory study involving undergraduate students assesses their ability to evaluate and interpret the landscape in HRT shaded-relief image versus aerial photography. The hillshades allow novice learners to focus more directly on the landscape, enabling faster and more accurate interpretations of geologic features. In addition, an educational video on HRT and an exercise exploring the earthquake cycle with HRT were tested in undergraduate introductory geology classes. Students who used educational tools involving HRT increased their understanding of the earthquake cycle and HRT for studying earthquakes. Novice Earth science students who use HRT improve their ability to evaluate topography for geologic features and come to accurate conclusions about landscape evolution. These positive outcomes are possible because of the fine scale at which topography can be examined without visual distractors within HRT.

Eos

When scientists learn better communication skills, they not only convey their research to a broad... more When scientists learn better communication skills, they not only convey their research to a broader audience but also become better connected to their own scientific communities.

Science

In poor rural areas of India with little access to food or clean water, women often feed their fa... more In poor rural areas of India with little access to food or clean water, women often feed their families first and only eat if there is food left over. Learning about this motivated me to minimize food waste. Now, if food from departmental parties is not eaten, we donate it to organizations that provide food to pregnant women. I also gradually convinced my neighborhood to donate food to the needy.

Tectonics, 2015

A precise age for the collision of the Kohistan-Ladakh block with Eurasia along the Shyok suture ... more A precise age for the collision of the Kohistan-Ladakh block with Eurasia along the Shyok suture zone (SSZ) is one key to understanding the accretionary history of Tibet and the tectonics of Eurasia during the India-Eurasia collision. Knowing the age of the SSZ also allows the suture to be used as a piercing line for calculating total offset along the Karakoram Fault, which effectively represents the SE border of the Tibetan Plateau and has played a major role in plateau evolution. We present a combined structural, geochemical, and geochronologic study of the SSZ as it is exposed in the Nubra region of India to test two competing hypotheses: that the SSZ is of Late Cretaceous or, alternatively, of Eocene age. Coarse-continental strata of the Saltoro Molasse, mapped in this area, contain detrital zircon populations suggestive of derivation from Eurasia despite the fact that the molasse itself is deposited unconformably onto Kohistan-Ladakh rocks, indicating that the molasse is postcollisional. The youngest population of detrital zircons in these rocks (approximately 92 Ma) and a U/Pb zircon date for a dike that cuts basal molasse outcrops (approximately 85 Ma) imply that deposition of the succession began in the Late Cretaceous. This establishes a minimum age for the SSZ and rules out the possibility of an Eocene collision between Kohistan-Ladakh and Eurasia. Our results support correlation of the SSZ with the Bangong suture zone in Tibet, which implies a total offset across the Karakoram Fault of approximately 130-190 km. Oligocene [Aitchison et al., 2011]) or earlier (e.g., Late Cretaceous [Yin and Harrison, 2000]). To the west of the Karakoram fault system are two comparable suture zones: the NW-SE Shyok suture zone (SSZ), which can be BORNEMAN ET AL.

Blind thrust faults pose a problem for detailed tectonic and hazard assessment because their lack... more Blind thrust faults pose a problem for detailed tectonic and hazard assessment because their lack of surface rupture and sometimes subtle geomorphic expression makes traditional fault recognition and analysis difficult. It is critical to understand and prepare for earthquakes on these faults. The Andean Precordillera between 31° and 33° has experienced several devastating earthquakes in the last century, and geodetic studies indicate that this area is shortening at a rate of ~5mm/yr. One of the growing anticlines in this region that partially accommodates this shortening is the Montecitos anticline,; a fault propagation fold above a blind thrust fault. The Montecito anticline is located just north of Mendoza in the Andean Piedmont and is approximately 7 km long and 2 km wide and stands X m above the surrounding landscape. Drainage diversions, changes in river sinuosity and deformation of Holocene alluvial fan sediments all indicate that the anticline has been active during the Quate...

Eos, Transactions American Geophysical Union, 2013

ABSTRACT Social media has emerged as a popular mode of communication, with more than 73% of the t... more ABSTRACT Social media has emerged as a popular mode of communication, with more than 73% of the teenage and adult population in the United States using it on a regular basis [Lenhart et al., 2010]. Young people in particular (ages 12–29) are deeply involved in the rapidly evolving social media environment and have an expectation of communication through these media. This engagement creates a valuable opportunity for scientific organizations and programs to use the wide reach, functionality, and informal environment of social media to create brand recognition, establish trust with users, and disseminate scientific information.

The NW-SE striking, dextral Karakoram fault system stretches for more than 1200 km from the Pamir... more The NW-SE striking, dextral Karakoram fault system stretches for more than 1200 km from the Pamirs of Central Asia at least as far southeast as the Kailas area of Tibet. Estimates for the total lateral displacement along the fault system range from 150-1000 km, and estimated Quaternary rates of slip range from 1 to 30 mm/yr. In the Ladakh region

The NW-SE striking, dextral Karakoram fault system stretches for more than 1200 km from the Pamir... more The NW-SE striking, dextral Karakoram fault system stretches for more than 1200 km from the Pamirs of Central Asia at least as far SE as the Kailas area of Tibet. Geodetic studies infer slip rates between 1-3 mm/yr, studies on offset geomorphic features find slip rates between 4-11 mm/yr, and the reconstruction of offset geologic features indicate rates as high

Understanding the interaction between intersecting fault systems is fundamental to understanding ... more Understanding the interaction between intersecting fault systems is fundamental to understanding orogenic processes. The geologically complex regions of fault intersection can provide insights into the modalities of fault segmentation and the partitioning of strain in space and time. In the Himalayan - Tibetan orogenic system, some of the most poorly understood fault interactions are those involving the major transcurrent systems on the Tibetan plateau. We have been studying this problem in the Ladakh region of NW India, the region of intersection between the Longmu Co fault (LCF) and Karakoram fault system (KFS; Raterman et al., 2007). In the Ladakh region, three NW-SE trending ranges dominate the landscape. The northernmost of these, the Karakoram Range, exposes igneous and metamorphic rocks representing an Andean-style arc predating the final closure of Neo-Tethys. The southernmost of these (the Ladakh Range) exposes a younger arc terrane. In general, the Ladakh and Karakoram ran...

Many scientific journals have committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, but publis... more Many scientific journals have committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, but publish articles counter to this goal. We propose actions the scientific community should take to move research and the publication process toward more rigorous and socially-just standards.

Earth and Planetary Science Letters

Eos

For some educators, restrictions imposed by COVID-19 created space for innovation and affirmed th... more For some educators, restrictions imposed by COVID-19 created space for innovation and affirmed the value of online tools and learning environments for increasing access to and engagement with science.

Geosphere

The western margin of the Tibetan Plateau is defined by the NE-striking, sinistral Longmu Co faul... more The western margin of the Tibetan Plateau is defined by the NE-striking, sinistral Longmu Co fault system and the NW-striking, dextral Karakoram fault system. The region of convergence of these two systems is remote and politically sensitive, precluding systematic geologic mapping in the field. As a consequence, there is considerable controversy regarding the relationship between these regionally important structural features. Analysis of Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) multispectral data and validation with field mapping provide new insights via the production of a lithologic map. Detailed analysis of the ASTER data shows that the two fault systems do not intersect but instead become parallel. Additionally, the geometry and sense of motion of the two fault systems imply that they are acting as a conjugate fault pair, in conjunction with the normal Angmong fault system, allowing for the extrusion of Tibetan lithosphere toward the east. GEOLOGIC SETTING The remote Ladakh Himalaya and adjacent Tibet (Fig. 1) feature several major tectonic structures. The Bangong, Shyok, and Indus-Yarlung suture zones mark the closure of ocean basins during the accretionary evolution of Tibet and the culminating event of India-Eurasia collision (e.g., Gansser, 1964; Yin and Harrison, 2000). The Karakoram fault system marks the southwestern margin of the Tibetan Plateau (e.g., Armijo et al.

Geosphere

High-resolution topography (HRT) provides Earth scientists the opportunity to measure landscapes ... more High-resolution topography (HRT) provides Earth scientists the opportunity to measure landscapes at unprecedented meter to submeter resolutions. HRT also enables use of new quantitative tools that explore landscape structure and evolution. The wide applications for HRT products in research have motivated Earth science educators to evaluate their usefulness for teaching concepts such as plate tectonics, faulting, and landscape change. This study assesses the usefulness of HRT as an educational tool for teaching Earth science concepts. The application of HRT to Earth science education is motivated by concepts outlined in undergraduate geology textbooks, the U.S. Next Generation Science Standards, and the Earth Science Literary Initiative. We developed three activities using HRT to assess its educational value. An exploratory study involving undergraduate students assesses their ability to evaluate and interpret the landscape in HRT shaded-relief image versus aerial photography. The hillshades allow novice learners to focus more directly on the landscape, enabling faster and more accurate interpretations of geologic features. In addition, an educational video on HRT and an exercise exploring the earthquake cycle with HRT were tested in undergraduate introductory geology classes. Students who used educational tools involving HRT increased their understanding of the earthquake cycle and HRT for studying earthquakes. Novice Earth science students who use HRT improve their ability to evaluate topography for geologic features and come to accurate conclusions about landscape evolution. These positive outcomes are possible because of the fine scale at which topography can be examined without visual distractors within HRT.

Eos

When scientists learn better communication skills, they not only convey their research to a broad... more When scientists learn better communication skills, they not only convey their research to a broader audience but also become better connected to their own scientific communities.

Science

In poor rural areas of India with little access to food or clean water, women often feed their fa... more In poor rural areas of India with little access to food or clean water, women often feed their families first and only eat if there is food left over. Learning about this motivated me to minimize food waste. Now, if food from departmental parties is not eaten, we donate it to organizations that provide food to pregnant women. I also gradually convinced my neighborhood to donate food to the needy.

Tectonics, 2015

A precise age for the collision of the Kohistan-Ladakh block with Eurasia along the Shyok suture ... more A precise age for the collision of the Kohistan-Ladakh block with Eurasia along the Shyok suture zone (SSZ) is one key to understanding the accretionary history of Tibet and the tectonics of Eurasia during the India-Eurasia collision. Knowing the age of the SSZ also allows the suture to be used as a piercing line for calculating total offset along the Karakoram Fault, which effectively represents the SE border of the Tibetan Plateau and has played a major role in plateau evolution. We present a combined structural, geochemical, and geochronologic study of the SSZ as it is exposed in the Nubra region of India to test two competing hypotheses: that the SSZ is of Late Cretaceous or, alternatively, of Eocene age. Coarse-continental strata of the Saltoro Molasse, mapped in this area, contain detrital zircon populations suggestive of derivation from Eurasia despite the fact that the molasse itself is deposited unconformably onto Kohistan-Ladakh rocks, indicating that the molasse is postcollisional. The youngest population of detrital zircons in these rocks (approximately 92 Ma) and a U/Pb zircon date for a dike that cuts basal molasse outcrops (approximately 85 Ma) imply that deposition of the succession began in the Late Cretaceous. This establishes a minimum age for the SSZ and rules out the possibility of an Eocene collision between Kohistan-Ladakh and Eurasia. Our results support correlation of the SSZ with the Bangong suture zone in Tibet, which implies a total offset across the Karakoram Fault of approximately 130-190 km. Oligocene [Aitchison et al., 2011]) or earlier (e.g., Late Cretaceous [Yin and Harrison, 2000]). To the west of the Karakoram fault system are two comparable suture zones: the NW-SE Shyok suture zone (SSZ), which can be BORNEMAN ET AL.

Blind thrust faults pose a problem for detailed tectonic and hazard assessment because their lack... more Blind thrust faults pose a problem for detailed tectonic and hazard assessment because their lack of surface rupture and sometimes subtle geomorphic expression makes traditional fault recognition and analysis difficult. It is critical to understand and prepare for earthquakes on these faults. The Andean Precordillera between 31° and 33° has experienced several devastating earthquakes in the last century, and geodetic studies indicate that this area is shortening at a rate of ~5mm/yr. One of the growing anticlines in this region that partially accommodates this shortening is the Montecitos anticline,; a fault propagation fold above a blind thrust fault. The Montecito anticline is located just north of Mendoza in the Andean Piedmont and is approximately 7 km long and 2 km wide and stands X m above the surrounding landscape. Drainage diversions, changes in river sinuosity and deformation of Holocene alluvial fan sediments all indicate that the anticline has been active during the Quate...

Eos, Transactions American Geophysical Union, 2013

ABSTRACT Social media has emerged as a popular mode of communication, with more than 73% of the t... more ABSTRACT Social media has emerged as a popular mode of communication, with more than 73% of the teenage and adult population in the United States using it on a regular basis [Lenhart et al., 2010]. Young people in particular (ages 12–29) are deeply involved in the rapidly evolving social media environment and have an expectation of communication through these media. This engagement creates a valuable opportunity for scientific organizations and programs to use the wide reach, functionality, and informal environment of social media to create brand recognition, establish trust with users, and disseminate scientific information.

The NW-SE striking, dextral Karakoram fault system stretches for more than 1200 km from the Pamir... more The NW-SE striking, dextral Karakoram fault system stretches for more than 1200 km from the Pamirs of Central Asia at least as far southeast as the Kailas area of Tibet. Estimates for the total lateral displacement along the fault system range from 150-1000 km, and estimated Quaternary rates of slip range from 1 to 30 mm/yr. In the Ladakh region

The NW-SE striking, dextral Karakoram fault system stretches for more than 1200 km from the Pamir... more The NW-SE striking, dextral Karakoram fault system stretches for more than 1200 km from the Pamirs of Central Asia at least as far SE as the Kailas area of Tibet. Geodetic studies infer slip rates between 1-3 mm/yr, studies on offset geomorphic features find slip rates between 4-11 mm/yr, and the reconstruction of offset geologic features indicate rates as high

Understanding the interaction between intersecting fault systems is fundamental to understanding ... more Understanding the interaction between intersecting fault systems is fundamental to understanding orogenic processes. The geologically complex regions of fault intersection can provide insights into the modalities of fault segmentation and the partitioning of strain in space and time. In the Himalayan - Tibetan orogenic system, some of the most poorly understood fault interactions are those involving the major transcurrent systems on the Tibetan plateau. We have been studying this problem in the Ladakh region of NW India, the region of intersection between the Longmu Co fault (LCF) and Karakoram fault system (KFS; Raterman et al., 2007). In the Ladakh region, three NW-SE trending ranges dominate the landscape. The northernmost of these, the Karakoram Range, exposes igneous and metamorphic rocks representing an Andean-style arc predating the final closure of Neo-Tethys. The southernmost of these (the Ladakh Range) exposes a younger arc terrane. In general, the Ladakh and Karakoram ran...